Carbone 4 pursues ongoing R&D to explore the technological, ecological, economic and financial aspects of the energy transition. This research activity focuses particularly on the energy and climate vulnerability of organizations, of investment, projects and territories, and is a source of new sectoral methods and approaches.

Innovation, methods and tools

Jean-Marc Jancovici, co-founder of Carbone 4, is the author of the Bilan Carbone® method devised for the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME). Carbone 4 worked on the updated Bilan Carbone® version 6 completed in 2009.

Since 2010 Carbone 4 has worked with the French Development Agency (AFD) to devise and improve a methodology designed to assess carbon impacts for projects prior to deployment. This methodology assesses both emissions induced by the project, during construction and operation, and avoided emissions, with reference to a baseline scenario.

Induced and avoided greenhouse gas emissions are calculated for assets in a portfolio, and their progression or reduction assigned a qualitative score.These metrics are used to evaluate the contribution of the portfolio assets to the energy and climate transition.

Carbone 4 was the leading member of the Riskergy consortium that was created to devise a financial scoring method to rate sovereign debt, factoring in the energy and climate resilience of national economies. Riskergy led to the creation of Beyond Ratings. This project was awarded labels of excellence by competitiveness poles Finance Innovation and Tenerrdis.

Carbon 4 is currently developing an innovative method to assess the financial risk associated with the physical risks of climate change (floods, heat waves, etc.) for financial portfolios.
The method is known as CRIS – Climate Risk & Impact Screening, and has already received support from several major institutions : AFD, CDC, FRR, Mirova-Natixis, ERAFP, BNP Paribas, CDG Capital and EDF.

C.R.I.S makes it possible to:
– analyze the exposure of a financial portfolio to climate change risks,
– highlight the assets most at risk, and
– provide elements to steer investments and engage in dialogue over physical climate change risks at the portfolio level.

Sectoral GHG assessments

Since its inception Carbone 4 has carried out over 300 Bilan Carbone® assessments, in all sectors of activity, and has thus acquired deep experience in identifying the most significant categories of greenhouse gas emissions, by sector, business activity or the nature of the project analysed.

In order to be effectively applicable, the general principles of carbon accounting must be structured in relation to specific sectoral features. By choosing consultation with stakeholders and gathering feedback from multiple actors in a given sector, Carbone 4 has compiled many sectoral methodological handbooks and tools. Carbone 4 has established sectoral benchmarks for the following partners:

Carbone 4 is the leading consulting firm specialized in carbon strategy. The firm’s name refers to Factor 4, the name given to France's objective of cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 750y 2050.